AOT #32: Sister Helen Prejean Podcasts The Death of Innocents
July 30, 2006 by Rob
Filed under Book Store Events
Sister Helen Prejean, author of the national bestseller Dead Man Walking, discusses and reads from the new paperback edition of her important second book, The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions.
The Death of Innocents is a brave and firecely argued book that tests the moral edge of the debate on capital punishment: What if we’re executing innocent men? As Sister Prejean recounts several cases of innocent men being executed, and takes us through their terrible last moments, she brilliantly dismantles the legal and religious arguments that have been used to justify the death penalty.
($14.00) Vintage ISBN # 0-679-75948-4.
You can visit Sister Helen Prejean’s official web site as well.
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Sister Prejean,
Recently I read an article written in The Baltimore “SUN” newspaper April 2,2006.This is how I found out about you and the work you do. I haven’t read your book yet but I will and after finding this info on the internet I was anxious to contact you. I understand the life of the innocent being spared, how do you feel if a person is guilty which a family member has been charged with and expects execution by next year. I want to help him in avoiding the death penalty, please share with me some things that would be helpful. Thank you, Margaret Durante
WHEN WILL YOU BE IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND AND WHERE?
Dawn, you need to check with Sister Helen’s publisher as to her speaking engagements in Baltimore or the vicinity.
– Editor, Authors On Tour
Sister Prejean,
I met you in Juneau, Alaska when you visited a few years ago. I was chair of the Youth on the Street citizen grassroots coalition to make the problem of youth homelessness in Juneau. We raised awareness but the problems have only increased since the 5 years we convened the coalition. There is a new group on homeless and the schools at least have finally identified the children we know needed assistance. I think that is a success for the group. I now am the coordinator of the Juneau FASD Diagnostic Clinic an all volunteer interdisiplinary team provide medical diagnosis of brain damage caused by mothers who drank during pregnancy.
Your talk reminded me of the youth on the street and our current clients. Many of our clients are in and out of jail if they do not have support to remind remain out of jail. Many of the people who we serve do not understand that they are doing something illegal. We know that some of them have do some pretty serious offenses that landed them in jail of decades at a time. You simply speak the truth eloquently without any illusions of social conventions to soften your message. Thank you for bring the issues of racism, poverty and political connectedness in communities that keep people out of the so falled justice system. You example of the judge telling one of the people on death row that they had not followed the proper procedures and the window of the opportunity had past never to be revised either in court or simple justice. I have had these experiences myself in court wit some of our clients. I give testimony encurage the judges to asking questions that will clearly indicate that they do not competent to stand trial, not just “do you understand” but a response that requires an indication that a person has understood and can explain that what was happening in that part of the trial. Once a judge gave a young man a number of pleas explaining that each plea meant. I mentioned that the young man probably did not understand 90% of what she had just explained. She was shocked to realize that the court was actually meaningless to this man. We was waiting to be found guilty he had no defense because he did not undertand what was happening other than he would lose and go to jail. Many traditional Native Alaskans do not understand the court culture, the terms used and the result other than “you go to court and then you go to jail”. Most people simply are resigned to going to jail when they are picked up by the police and face a judge the next morning.
I have rambled enough. God bless and thank you for fighting the good fight “God’s least of these”.
Ric
Dear Sister Helen Prejean,
My name Tubaa and i live in Ottawa, Canada. I am currently taking an English course in which i chose to read your novel “dead man walking” i found this novel very insightful and interesting, i was wondering if you could answer some questions for me, please and thank you.
p.s
i don’t know how else to get in contact with you other then this, so if there is any other way then please inform me.
Sincerely Tubaa
Sister Helen,
Wish you would come to Missouri. Our dad and his grandsonn were found shot to death in WV and we are now being sued for wrongful death. Letter was found from the boy saying why he was gonna kill himself and get the last laugh. This has been a nightmare. Police came in and did nothing but pictures and reported that Dad killed the boy then himself. The mom of this child gave up parental rights 5 yrs back and never in his life when she did and now is trying to make her own Dad out as filth on a forun in WV. We have been stalked, called beaters, murders, child molesters and it goes on. We have spent sums of money for invections, Lawyers, travel and care of the home stead without anyones help.